Profiles of Gay Leaders in Israel - The Israel Project

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 15, 2008

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Breaking Down Barriers: Israel’s LGBT Pioneers
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Symbols of Progress

Gay Rights in Israel

Michal Eden: Israel’s First Openly Lesbian Elected Official

Michal Eden, Photo Courtesy of Tam.co.il

Michal Eden (b. 1969) was among those who paved the way for Israeli gay public officials when she was voted to the Tel Aviv City Council in 1998. With this post, she became Israel’s first openly lesbian elected official. [1]

Eden, born in the Tel Aviv suburb of Herzliya, has been active in advocating for human rights and has been involved in political and social activism, primarily on behalf of the feminist, gay and lesbian struggles. [2]

At the start of her mandatory military service, Eden moved to Tel Aviv with her family. When she was 20, Eden ‘came out’ to her family, who then disowned her because of her sexual orientation. [3]

At 22, Eden volunteered for the Tel Aviv-based Israeli Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Association (The Aguda, in Hebrew) – Israel’s largest LGBT organization – and the only national one. [4] She continued her volunteer work with the Community of Lesbian Feminists (CLAF) and a sexual assault crisis center. In 1995, Eden joined the Meretz Party where she was active in the faction’s forum for women and “Gayot,” Meretz’s forum for the rights of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders. Meretz, now known as Meretz-Yachad (Hebrew acronym for ‘Social-Democratic Party’), is a left-wing alliance that supports a two-state solution as outlined in the Geneva Accord and is also concerned with human rights issues, minority rights, women’s rights, social justice and environmentalism. Meretz-Yachad is closely associated with Peace Now, a left-wing, non-governmental organization. [5]

Eden represented Meretz on the Tel Aviv City Council from 1998 – 2003 and in 2000 she was chosen as chairwoman of “Gayot.” [6]

In 2002, Eden founded Beit Dror, (Hebrew for “House of Freedom”), a shelter for LGBT youth between the ages of 14 and 19 who are rejected by their families because of their sexual orientation. The hostel, funded by the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality and Israel’s Ministry of Welfare and Social Services, provides counseling for teenagers and their parents in hopes they will renew their relationships. The center also ensures that the youth are either working or studying while at the shelter. [7] [8]

In 2003 and 2006, Eden made unsuccessful bids for the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) as a member of the Meretz Party. She is currently a practicing lawyer. [9]

Uzi Even: First Openly Gay Member of Knesset

Uzi Even, Photo Courtesy of the Knesset

Uzi Even (b.1940) is a professor of chemistry at Tel Aviv University [10] and a former Knesset member from the Meretz Party. Even, born in the northern port city of Haifa, was the first openly gay person to serve in the Knesset.
Even served on the Knesset’s Internal Affairs and Environment Committee, the Committee on the Status of Women [11] and the Education Committee. [12] He was the first to begin drafting legislation to provide greater rights for the gay community. [13]

A former IDF captain [14] who served in the Six Day War (1967) and Yom Kippur (1973) War, [15] Even pushed Israel to change its laws so that homosexuals could serve openly in the military and established an anti-discrimination policy. His achievements for the gay community led to his membership in the Meretz Party and the creation of its gay caucus. [16]

In 1995, Even won spousal rights for his partner from his employer, Tel Aviv University. [17]

He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in chemistry from Tel Aviv University. [18] Even has published more than 170 scientific articles in foreign journals. [19]

Even is married to Dr. Amit Kama and they have one son, Yossi; Even and Kama were recognized as the first gay foster family in Israel. [20]

Dr. Kama has been active in various LGBT organizations since 1982 and served as the first executive director of the Society for the Protection of Personal Rights (SPPR) in the early 1990s. In 2003, Kama published the first Hebrew-language book that covered the history, sociology and psychology of gay men in the world, and Israel in particular. [21]

Dana International: Pop Icon

Dana International, Photo Courtesy of danainternational.co.il

Dana International (born Yaron Cohen) (b.1972) is a transsexual Israeli pop singer who broke barriers for transsexuals and transgenders after winning the prestigious 1998 Eurovision Song Contest, a televised special viewed by more than 100 million people. [22]

Dana International, a.k.a. Sharon Cohen, was openly gay in high school. By age 18, Cohen was dressing as a woman.

After high school, Cohen performed as a drag queen. In 1993, he underwent gender-reassignment surgery in London. [23] That same year, as a woman, she released her first album, Dana International, from which she took her stage name. [24]

In 2004, Dana International enjoyed platinum success with her second album, Umpatampa, which won her that year’s best female artist award in Israel. [25]

After winning the Eurovision Song Contest, Dana International became a star in Europe, topping the charts with the winning song “Diva” and becoming the first Israeli artist to be featured singing in Hebrew on MTV Europe. [26] In 1998, she was asked to replace a member of the Spice Girls who had left the group that year, but declined. [27]

I represent liberal Israel, an Israel that accepts human beings whoever they are, no matter what they look like, no matter what sex or race they are.
-Dana International [28]

Dana’s 10th album, Hakol Ze Le’Tova (It’s All for the Best), was released in August 2007. [29] In February 2008, a song composed by Dana International, “Ke’ilu Kan” (As if Here), was selected as Israel’s entry for the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest. [30]

Eytan Fox: Film Director

Eytan Fox, Photo Courtesy of socal.com

Eytan Fox (b.1964) is an Israeli film director who has won worldwide acclaim for his groundbreaking films about gays.

Fox was born in New York City; when he moved with his family to Jerusalem. After completing his mandatory military service in the Israel Defense Forces, Fox studied film at Tel Aviv University. [31] Homosexuality in Israel, particularly the military, is a recurring theme in Fox’s movies, including "Time Off" (1990), "Yossi and Jagger" (2002) and "The Bubble" (2007). [32] "Yossi and Jagger," a love story about two gay soldiers stationed in an Israeli outpost near the Lebanese border, won a Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Media Award, a Tribeca Film Festival award and two Israeli Television Academy awards. [33] In 1997, Fox and his partner, Gal Uchovsky, produced a TV series that featured the first kiss between gay characters on primetime Israeli television. [34]

Fox achieved international acclaim with the release of his 2004 award-winning film "Walk on Water," the most successful Israeli film abroad, which involves a gay character whose grandfather is a Nazi. [35] "The Bubble" follows the story of an Israeli soldier who falls in love with a Palestinian man. [36]

Etai Pinkas: Tel Aviv City Council Member

Etai Pinkas, Photo Courtesy of he.wikipedia.org

Etai Pinkas (b. 1973) is a Tel Aviv City Council member representing the Labor Party, [37] and the mayor’s chief advisor on LGBT affairs -- positions he has held since 2003. He is also chairman of the Dan Region Association of Towns for Sewage and Environmental Issues, where he manages the largest water recycling plant in the world. [38] The Dan Region comprises Tel Aviv and surrounding cities. [39]

Pinkas was born in Tel Aviv and grew up in Herzliya. Pinkas’s compulsory military service included duty as a casualties officer, commanding a military courses section, serving in the artillery corps and then as a liaison officer in a division command. [40] Today, Pinkas serves in the IDF reserves with the rank of captain. [41]

From 2000 – 2002, Pinkas served as chairman and chief financial officer of The Aguda, the Tel Aviv-based Israeli Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Association and is credited with the organization’s substantial growth. He founded and managed four of The Aguda’s chapters and established the organization’s fundraising department in Israel and abroad. In addition, he developed and implemented gay pride events and published the Israeli gay community’s newspaper, Hazman Havarod (The Pink Times). [42]

As a Tel Aviv City Council member, Pinkas serves as chairman of the Human Rights Committee and a member of the council’s Management Committee and the Assets Committee. [43]

As a result of his achievements as chairman of the Dan Region’s environmental association, Pinkas was chosen by The Marker, an Israeli business magazine, as one of the 10 most influential people working in the environmental field in Israel in 2006. In 2008, he founded a culture center for the LGBT community in Tel Aviv, which is the first such center in the world to be fully funded and run by the municipality and its employees. [44]

Pinkas earned a bachelor’s degree in law from Tel Aviv University and in 2007, he graduated from the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya with a master’s of business administration, focusing on civic leadership. [45]

In 2005, Pinkas led a group of Israeli gay couples to apply for marriage licenses in Toronto, Canada and later to be recognized by the Israeli Supreme Court. In Toronto, Pinkas married his boyfriend of six years, Yoav Arad. [46]

Footnotes

[1] Bull, Chris, “Lessons from Israel: Tel Aviv’s first out lesbian elected official, Michal Eden, talks about the worldwide struggle for peace – both political and personal,” The Advocate via Highbeam Encyclopedia, Feb. 5, 2002, http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-82322818.html; “Gay politicians keep power in Israeli elections,” The Advocate, Oct. 31, 2003, http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid9445.asp

[2] Information provided by Michal Eden, March 31, 2008

[3] Bull, Chris, “Lessons from Israel: Tel Aviv’s first out lesbian elected official, Michal Eden, talks about the worldwide struggle for peace – both political and personal,” The Advocate via Highbeam Encyclopedia, Feb. 5, 2002, http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-82322818.html; Information provided by Michal Eden, March 31, 2008

[4] “Mission Statement,” The Aguda Web site, http://www.aguda-ta.org.il/contentItems.php?sectionID=673&itemID=9, accessed April 4, 2008

[5] “Meretz-Yachad,” Meretz-Yachad Web site, http://www.myparty.org.il/main-branch/en, accessed on Feb. 27, 2008

[6] Information provided by Michal Eden, March 31, 2008

[7] “Beit Dror,” Ynet.co.il, http://ruachtova.ynet.co.il/ynetnews/orgdetails.asp?id=3462&sParam=www.ynetnews.com, accessed April 4, 2008; Information provided by Michal Eden, April 1, 2008; “What is Beit Dror,” (Hebrew) Beit Dror Web site, http://www.bethdror.org/odot.html, accessed April 4, 2008

[8] Avraham, Galit, “Haniduy,” Tel Aviv Magazine, Sept. 13, 2002, http://tam.co.il/13_9_2002/magazin1.htm

[9] Information provided by Michal Eden, April 1, 2008

[10] “Uzi Even – CV,” Tel Aviv University Web site, http://www.tau.ac.il/chemistry/even/, accessed Feb. 27, 2008

[11] Knesset Members – Uzi Even,” Knesset Web site, http://www.knesset.gov.il/mk/eng/mk_eng.asp?mk_individual_id_t=719, accessed Feb. 29, 2008

[12] The Israel Project, interview with Dr. Uzi Even, April 3, 2008

[13] The Israel Project, interview with Dr. Uzi Even, April 3, 2008; Bull, Chris, “Even in Israel: professor Uzi Even is the first openly gay member in Israel’s parliament—but that’s only his latest accomplishment,” The Advocate, Nov. 26, 2002, http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-95263237.html

[14] The Israel Project, interview with Dr. Uzi Even, April 3, 2008

[15] Kirchick, James, “Out on the Front Lines: Gays in the Israeli Defense Forces,” Spring 2003, http://www.yaleisraeljournal.com/spr2003/gays.html

[16] “Israel’s first gay MP enters parliament,” BBC News, Nov. 4, 2002, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2400237.stm; The Israel Project, interview with Dr. Uzi Even, April 3, 2008

[17] “Israel’s first gay MP enters parliament,” BBC News, Nov. 4, 2002, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2400237.stm

[18] Knesset Members – Uzi Even,” Knesset Web site, accessed Feb. 27, 2008, http://www.knesset.gov.il/mk/eng/mk_eng.asp?mk_individual_id_t=719

[19] The Israel Project, interview with Dr. Uzi Even, April 3, 2008

[20] Bull, Chris,“Even in Israel: professor Uzi Even is the first openly gay member in Israel’s parliament-but that’s only his latest accomplishment-Behind the Headlines,” The Advocate via Highbeam Encyclopedia, Nov. 26, 2002, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1589/is_2002_Nov_26/ai_95263237; The Israel Project, interview with Dr. Uzi Even, April 3, 2008

[21] Interview with Amit Kama, Professor at the Department of Communications, Emek Yezreel Academic College, March 6, 2008

[22] “Israel in 1998,” Esctoday.com, accessed Feb. 29, 2008, http://www.esctoday.com/annual/1998/page/18

[23] Ibid.

[24] Ibid.

[25] Ibid.

[26] Sugerman, Margo Lipschitz, “MTV Hits All the Right Notes in Israel,” The Jerusalem Report , June 22, 1998

[27] Demick, Barbara, “Israeli Star in Spotlight for Her Singing and Her Past,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 18, 1998

[28] “The politics of Eurovision,” BBC News, May 12, 2000, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/746092.stm

[29] “Discography,” Dana International Web site, http://www.danainternational.co.il/index2.html, accessed Feb. 29, 2008

[30] “Israel picks its 2008 Eurovision entry,” Ynetnews.com, Feb. 27, 2008, http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3511944,00.html

[31] Biggers, Kevin, “Eytan Fox Brings Israeli Films to America,” Socal.com, accessed Feb. 29, 2008

[32] “$1,000 MGLFF Career Achievement Award 2007 Sponsored by HBO awarded to Eytan Fox for his film The Bubble,” Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival 2007 Web site, http://www.mglff.com/2007/eventhighlights_awards.html, accessed Feb. 29, 2008

[33] “Awards for Yossi and Jagger,” The Internet Movie Database, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0334754/awards, accessed Feb. 29, 2008

[34] “$1,000 MGLFF Career Achievement Award 2007 Sponsored by HBO awarded to Eytan Fox for his film The Bubble,” Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival 2007 Web site, http://www.mglff.com/2007/eventhighlights_awards.html, accessed Feb. 29, 2008

[35] “The Bubble – Press Notes,” Strand Releasing.com, www.strandrel.com/pressroom/Presskits/Bubble_pressnotes.doc, accessed Feb. 29, 2008

[36] Ibid.

[37] Information provided by Etai Pinkas, April 7, 2008

[38] Interview with Etai Pinkas, Tel Aviv City Council member, March 23, 2008

[39] “The Dan Region,” Israel Ministry of Tourism Web site, http://www.goisrael.com/Tourism_Eng/Tourist+Information/Dis
cover+Israel/Geographic+Regions/The+Dan+Region.htm, accessed April 1, 2008

[40] Information provided by Etai Pinkas, April 7, 2008; “Curriculum Vita [sic],” by Etai Pinkas, accessed April 1, 2008

[41] “Curriculum Vita [sic],” by Etai Pinkas, accessed April 1, 2008

[42] “Etai Pinkas – Curriculum Vita [six],” by Etai Pinkas, accessed April 1, 2008; Information provided by Etai Pinkas, April 1, 2008

[43] “Members of the Tel-Aviv City Council,” Municipality-City of Tel Aviv-Yafo Web site, http://www.tel-aviv.gov.il/English/cityhall/council/Committees.htm#Etai, accessed April 1, 2008

[44] “Etai Pinkas – Curriculum Vita [six],” by Etai Pinkas, accessed April 1, 2008; Information provided by Etai Pinkas, April 1, 2008

[45] “Etai Pinkas – Curriculum Vita [six],” by Etai Pinkas, accessed April 1, 2008

[46] “Israeli gay couples wed in Canada plan to challenge marriage laws back home,” The Advocate, March 14, 2005, http://www.advocate.com/print_article_ektid3255.asp; Information provided by Etai Pinkas, April 1, 2008

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